Herbal supplement benefits and dangerous side effects

After a rise in the popularity of in the 1990s, their use seems to have plateaued, although exposure may continue to increase with the addition of herbal supplements to mainstream multivitamin products.
During the last decade the use of alternative medicines, particularly herbal products, has increased considerably, according to background information in the article. Americans spent $4.2 billion on herbs and other botanical remedies in 2001, and their benefits are being cited more and more in the media.The percentage of people using dietary supplements increased from 14.2 percent in 1998 1999 to 18.8 percent 2002, with a low of 12.3 percent in 2000 and a high of 19.8 percent in 2001. The percentage of people aged 45 to 64 years who took supplements increased by about half between 1998-1999 and 2001-2002. However, the use of Ginko biloba and Panax ginseng declined during the study period. Overall, supplement users were older, more likely to be female (59.9 vs. 55.5 percent) and white (80.7 vs. 75.6 percent). The use of lutein, a component of multivitamin products, increased in both men and women, with a prevalence of 0.3 percent, 0.5 percent, 6.6 percent, and 8.4 percent, respectively, in 1998-1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. health.medical8.com

more information contact:

A benefit of Herbal Supplements People takes herbs and supplements for a variety of reasons. Some people take Echinacea if they have a cold or the flu. You might turn to ginseng to boost your energy, increase sexual stamina, reduce stress or combat the effects of aging, such as memory loss.

The world of herbal medicine offers a wide range of applications and treatments on several different levels, ranging from everyday over-the-counter remedies for more symptomatic relief of minor ailments, to individualized prescriptions prepared specifically for patients after in depth consultation with a qualified medical herbalist. Certainly herbs have their place as self-help for minor infections, coughs, colds, catarrh, stomach upsets, indigestion, constipation and so on. The wealth of information that abounds today about herbs is enabling people to make increasingly informed decisions about the specific remedies they choose to self-administer.

In the 10th century, the Arabs invented a process of distillation that allowed for more efficient extraction of the essential oils from plants, and for centuries, cultures from every part of the globe have inhaled aromas, drunken potions, and worn aromatic amulets as healing aids and to protect them from harm.

By extracting the essential oils from plants and herbs, aromatherapy has been, and continues to be, used to address a wide range of physical and emotional ailments, from headaches to herpes, from dry skin to acne, and from arthritis to asthma.

side effect of using herbal supplements a study has found that, may pose a special risk. The supplement appears to reduce sharply the effectiveness of the drug saquinavir, researchers report in the current online issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
For the moment, the researchers are advising only those patients being treated with saquinavir to avoid the supplements. But the researchers said more work was needed to determine whether herbal supplements affected
Natural herbal supplements are supposed to help boost our immune systems, give us more energy and make us generally healthier. However, many of these "harmless" supplements could cause for more dangerous side effects.